Death Cannot Divide Us
by Hikaru Morinaga
Summary: Based off the "Hit List of Debts" tumblr RP thread. Duo always makes good on his promises to Heero, because he won't let a little thing like death stop him. 1x2. Death fic. One shot. Contains major character deaths, suicide, blood and minor gore, and mentions of drugs.


**Death Cannot Divide Us**

_I'm open, you're closed  
Where I follow, you'll go  
I worry I won't see your face  
Light up again - "Collide", Howie Day  
_

The floor was slick with blood as Duo approached the doorway, wrist to his mouth to avoid inhaling the smell. Bodies littered the floor inside, most of them already too far gone to save now—in more ways than one. Most of them were what was left of Kurai's personal entourage, the ones he loved to call his Dogs. The women appeared to be Minxes—Kurai's little prostitution side venture. Duo wasn't here for them, and he wasn't sorry for saying so; it was the truth. He was here for one man and one man only, the Dog Kurai had known as Aiden Taylor, aka Malamute. The man Duo knew by a different name.

Heero.

His eyes scanned the dimly lit room as he crossed over the threshold, discovering that it was filled with mostly shadows and departing souls screaming for salvation, bodies missing limbs, bodies covered in or spewing forth blood. In the far corner where one of the lights flickered overhead thanks to faulty wiring, Duo recognised a man up against a wall with a large blood spatter descending into a blood trail behind him. Running to the corner, boot soles slipping on all the bodily fluids, laid Heero, shirt matted with sweat and blood that was hopefully not his, one hand in his lap, the other palm up on the floor and the colour of dirtied rust. His eyes were vacant and staring blankly past Duo. His gun was nowhere in sight.

_No no no_. Duo shook his head, fell to his knees by his fallen comrade, hands halfway between grabbing his hair and grabbing Heero. _No. No no no. No. Not Heero. Not __**Heero**__. You can't take Heero. Not after I found him. Not after he found __**me**__._

"H-Heero." Duo's voice trembled; most of his sentence died before it even had a chance to leave his mouth. He reached out and pulled Heero to him; he came with little resistance. Still bleeding.

_You ain't dead yet_, Duo thought, as he pressed his mouth against Heero's hair, his head cradled on Duo's upper arm, shoulders supported by the crook of Duo's arm. He felt for a pulse on Heero's neck—it was weak, thready. Duo swallowed, his saliva thick, this throat parched, practically choking him. This was his worst nightmare come true, that Heero wasn't—

No. No. Heero was going to make it. He had to. He was Heero fucking Yuy. Heero was the kid he shot twice when they first met before launching torpedoes off while still riding them. The kid who fell fifty stories and only had a broken leg to show for it. The kid who'd blown himself up and lived to shrug it off. If Heero hadn't died all of those times, he wasn't going to—

Duo couldn't finish the thought. He'd throw up if he did. Best to keep positive, even if the outcome looked less than optimistic. He put pressure on the gunshot wound in Heero's back, trying his best to stem the blood as much as possible.

"Heero?"

Heero moved his head against Duo's shoulder. The movement was slight, and Duo felt it more than saw it. It was something though. Something was a lot better than the alternative.

"D-Duo…?" Heero murmured.

"Hey buddy," Duo answered. "You're in pretty shit shape, so I'm gettin' you the hell outta here." Gingerly, he wrapped Heero's arms around his neck, kept his arm on Heero's back and slid the other under his knees, one of which had a rather bad gash. Once Heero was secure in his arms, he took a deep breath and carefully walked out of that room of death and gore. The building was in bad shape, on the verge of collapse in many places, with gaping holes in the walls, floors, and ceilings, peeling paint, and missing chunks of drywall. He knew moving Heero at all was risky, but in this situation, he felt it necessary in case the place collapsed. So much of the walls had fallen away in the gunfight… Duo'd seen worse looking drug dens, but this one took the cake.

Fucking Kurai. If that bastard was still alive after this… Well, he wouldn't be once Duo was through with him.

But first he had to get Heero help. And fast. His heart hammered in his chest as he got them outside. They were greeted by empty streets, darkened windows, and silence. Not even a dog barked, which was unusual in this part of town. Maybe someone had gone to get help. Duo prayed to God.

_Not like it'll make much difference,_ Duo snorted. _But I could use all the help I can get. Ya hear me up there, Big Guy?_

"…not… ….make it…"

Duo barely made out what Heero said. He set Heero down as far away from the building as feasibly possible, yet visible enough so they could signal for help when it arrived. And with the amount of gunshots fired, the cops should be here any minute now. Everyone else who witnessed the gunfight seemed to either flee into their houses or fled the scene completely. Duo couldn't blame them for that, considering they were probably half drugged out of their minds, or had drugs on them.

"Sure y'will," Duo said, trying to convince himself more than convince Heero. "I'll get you to a hospital myself if I gotta. Just hang on, 'Ro. Okay?" He was trying to keep his voice light as he continued to put pressure on Heero's wound with one hand and clutched Heero's with the other. Heero shivered.

"Sorry… Duo…"

Duo squeezed Heero's hand hard. "'Ro, you ain't leavin' me, okay?" Determination filled his voice. "You've gone this long without dying. You're gonna be fine. Just fine."

Heero gave a weak smile. "Who said I had…to leave you? You…can come…with me…" Heero's eyes were darker than they should be. Duo kept trying to hear for approaching sirens, but there was nothing. Did the law abandon this part of L2 as well? He wouldn't be surprised, but the nearest hospital wasn't all that close, either… And with Kurai's men still lurking around, they were as good as dead.

"Come with you?"

Heero nodded. "I'm not going anywhere….without you. I told you that…before. And…if I die…before I can be saved…" He laughed softly. "You keep saying…you're the God of Death…. …right?" Heero's eyes narrowed. "Come with me. I'll…only go…." He clung to Duo's jacket. "You promised."

He had promised him, that was a fact. He promised Heero before they had ended up back at his apartment. Before they'd dodged a bullet—literally. Before everything had gone to hell and they had to start running again. Before they had gotten separated.

"_I'm not letting you go again," Heero said into Duo's shoulder. I will chase after you. I'll chase you through all of space if I have to. I'm not going to let you leave me again."_

_Duo laughed lightly. "All right, all right, 'Ro. I won't leave you again. I promise." He ran a hand through Heero's hair. "We're goin' to hell, right? Might as well go together, yeah? Just hold the door if you get there before I do. I'll be right behind ya."_

Duo pressed his mouth to Heero's forehead, clinging to him for all he was worth, tears stinging at his eyes as he willed the memory away.

"All right, 'Ro," Duo said softly, pressing his forehead to Heero's. "We're goin' together, yeah? I'd never lie to ya, after all, never break a promise." He unholstered his gun. He kissed Heero's mouth, tasting nothing but blood. He sniffled.

"I love you, Heero," Duo said, nuzzling his forehead. "Hold the door for me. I'll be right behind ya."

Heero tried to smirk, but found he was too weak to do that, or really even move his mouth. "Koishiteruze… Duo…"

Duo propped himself up against the wall of a nearby building stoop, Heero still in his arms. It was a little more difficult to move him now, but it didn't feel right to leave him there and slither off somewhere to finish himself off. You promise someone you're going to die with them, you die with them. He placed the barrel of the gun under his chin and slightly to the side and said, "Wait for me," before squeezing the trigger.


End file.
